#SemiconductorDesign

[bitsilicasemicondesignservice]

Semiconductor Design Industry- The History and Trends 2023

The semiconductor industry is witnessing tremendous advances in digital, and analog, tools, manufacturing technology as well and materials. Chip development requires highly sophisticated and complex processes at every level, from design to manufacturing. Going forward, this process will require significant changes, from architectural design to sustainable materials and end-to-end manufacturing, to meet the growing demand for semiconductors. To achieve this, the industry is adopting the latest technologies that increase efficiency and produce highly advanced process nodes. 

Semiconductors- the heart of IoT

We are seeing significant advances in the Internet of Things (IoT), smart devices, and, more recently, 5G. To understand where these innovations are taking us and what we should expect from them, we need a basic understanding of the underlying technologies that are helping to create this new wave of innovation. With the rise of the Internet of Things (IoT) and 5G driven by semiconductor technology, the development of AI will be faster than ever. The development of semiconductor technology has been the driving force behind the increase in computing power over the past 30 years.

Semiconductors are said to account for about 50% of computer hardware costs. Based on semiconductor technology, the integration of AI computing devices into society will be more seamless and widespread. Self-driving cars are an example that use a common advanced mobile computing system with complex algorithms to process and analyze driving data.

Based on 5G communications infrastructure, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning use computer vision to understand surrounding situations, then plan and execute safe driving movements. This makes traveling safer, smarter and more efficient. IoT devices can turn almost any product into a smart device, from watering systems to clothing. Retail, healthcare, life sciences, consumer products, and industrial IoT are all in high demand. Future innovations will also make custom chips more accessible and make chip manufacturing more efficient and, more importantly, more sustainable.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is important to the semiconductor industry as connected devices become more and more popular over time. As the smartphone industry stagnates, the semiconductor industry must find other avenues to exploit its growth potential. Despite the challenges, IoT remains the most affordable option for the industry. IoT applications cannot function without sensors and integrated circuits, which is why all IoT devices require semiconductors.

The smartphone market, which has fueled the semiconductor industry's growth for years, has begun to stabilize. The IoT market can generate new revenue for semiconductor manufacturers and keep the semiconductor industry growing at a compound annual growth rate of 3-4% for the foreseeable future.

Process nodes in semiconductor technology measure the size of transistors and other components on the chip. The number of nodes continues to increase over the years, leading to a corresponding increase in computing power. Nodes often involve different generations of circuits and architectures.

In general, the smaller the technology node, the smaller the feature size, making smaller transistors both faster and more power efficient. This trend has allowed us to develop more powerful computers and devices in smaller form factors. There is a relationship between process nodes and CMOS transistor performance

Frequency, power, and physical size are all affected by the choice of processing node. This is why it is important to understand how the semiconductor process evolves over time. The history of semiconductor technology nodes dates back to the 1970s, when Intel released the first microprocessor, the 4004. Since then, we have seen exponential growth in power computing thanks to advances in the size of nodes in semiconductor technology. This has allowed us to create ever smaller and more powerful devices like smartphones, tablets and wearables

The Apple A15 bionic is currently at the heart of most of Apple's latest products using 7nm node technology and has nearly 4 billion functional transistors. Semiconductor nodes are a key factor in determining the performance of a microcontroller. As technology advances, the number of nodes in each microcontroller increases. This trend has been observed over the past few years and is expected to continue in the future.

A technology node (also called a process node, process technology, or simply a node) refers to a specific semiconductor manufacturing process and its design rules. Different nodes usually mean different circuit generations and architectures. In general, the smaller the technology node, the smaller the feature size, the smaller the transistor, the faster the speed, and the more energy efficient. Historically, the process node name referred to various characteristics of the transistor, including gate length and M1 half step. More recently, the number itself has lost the precise meaning it once had due to various marketing moves and disagreements between foundries.

Newer technology nodes, such as 22nm, 16nm, 14nm, and 10nm, refer only to specific generations of chips manufactured using specific technologies. This does not correspond to the length of the gate or the half step. However, the naming convention is still followed, which is how the major foundries call the buttons. Early semiconductor processes had arbitrary names, eg, HMOS III, CHMOS V.

Later, each next-generation process was called a technology node or process node, representing the gate length in terms of size. Minimum feature size of nanometer (or previously 1 micron) transistor processing, such as "90 nm process". However, things have changed since 1994 and the number of nanometers used to name process nodes has become a marketing term that has nothing to do with actual feature size or shadow density semiconductor (number of transistors per square mm).

The evolution of the technology node process: Basically, the technology node corresponds to the size of the physical characteristics of the transistor. Initially, every microcontroller was made from transistors, which are essentially switches that control the flow of electricity and allow the microcontroller to perform its logic function. Technology nodes such as 28nm or 65nm refer to the minimum data graphics specification that can be drawn on the array (half step or gate length). However, there is no standardization in naming technology nodes. The node's name like 28nm or 65nm actually comes from the minimum gate length of the transistor, as shown in a typical planar MOSFET configuration.

[bitsilicasemicondesignservice]

https://bitsilica.com/#embeddedsystems

Our customized embedded service that are highly personalize according to client requirement.

[bitsilicasemicondesignservice]

At BITSILICA, we are a leading services organization in the Semicon and Embedded space, dedicated to delivering cutting-edge solutions to our global clients. With a strong focus on quality and customer satisfaction, we have rapidly grown to become one of the fastest-growing companies in our industry.

Our Journey: Established just three years ago, we have achieved remarkable milestones and success. From our humble beginnings, we have grown exponentially, serving more than 20+ global customers across multiple geographical locations, including India, USA, Singapore, and Malaysia. Our commitment to excellence has been the driving force behind our rapid growth, and we take pride in our journey of success.

[bitsilicasemicondesignservice]

At BITSILICA, our vision is to empower businesses with innovative solutions and advanced technologies. We strive to be a global leader, driving transformation and enabling success in the Semicon and Embedded industries. Together, let's shape a future of limitless possibilities.

[bitsilicasemicondesignservice]

https://bitsilica.com/

At BITSILICA, we are a leading services organization in the Semicon and Embedded space, dedicated to delivering cutting-edge solutions to our global clients. With a strong focus on quality and customer satisfaction, we have rapidly grown to become one of the fastest-growing companies in our industry.

[bitsilicasemicondesignservice]

Enhancing Data Transfer Efficiency in PCIe with Flow Control Credits

Introduction: Communication protocols play a pivotal role in the world of data transmission. In such protocols, a transmitting device sends data to a receiving device, but there’s no guarantee that the entire data will be received successfully. Issues like overflow and underflow can disrupt the seamless flow of data. To address these situations, PCIe (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express) incorporates a vital concept known as flow control credits.

Flow Control Credits in PCIe: Flow control (FC) credits serve as indicators of available buffer space within the receiving device. These flow control credits are defined as Data Link Layer Packets (DLLPs) in the PCIe architecture. In Non-Flit mode, each Virtual Channel (VC) at each port possesses dedicated flow control credits. These credits are comprised of both headers and data, with header credits consisting of 5 Data Words (DW) for requests and 4 DW for completions, and data credits being 4 DW (16 Bytes) in size.

Types of Flow Control Transactions: These flow control credits utilize three types of transactions to define available buffer space: Posted (P), Non-posted (NP), and Completions (Cpl).

Flow Control Initialization: The available buffer space is communicated using three FC_INIT DLLPs in a defined order of transactions: Posted, Non-posted, and Completions. When the receiver advertises available credits, the transmitter uses this information to determine when and how to send packets, ensuring data isn’t lost in the process.

Addressing Potential Deadlocks: However, there is a possibility of encountering deadlock conditions in the link. This can occur when there is a mismatch in the transaction order, leading to traffic congestion. This is particularly concerning as data rates are set to increase or even double in PCIe 6.0, necessitating more virtual channels to handle the increased traffic. This, in turn, requires more buffer space and credits, resulting in higher costs and complex hardware designs.

Introducing Shared Flow Control Credits in Flit Mode: To tackle this issue, shared flow control credits were introduced in Flit mode. In this mode, a VC can have both shared and dedicated flow control credits. When the dedicated credits are exhausted, the remaining credits are stored in the shared flow control credits. This approach involves six FC_INIT DLLPs – three for dedicated credits and three for shared credits. Any overflowing credits from VCs are placed in the shared flow control credit pool, which can be utilized as needed.

Enhancing Efficiency and Reliability: One of the key advantages of shared flow control credits is that they can accommodate all types of transactions. In case an order mismatch occurs, the shared pool can be leveraged to ensure the necessary transactions are carried out, thus helping to prevent deadlock situations. Additionally, scaled flow control credits can be employed to allocate a fixed amount of credits, further enhancing the reliability and efficiency of the link while simultaneously reducing costs and simplifying hardware design.

Conclusion: In the evolving landscape of data transfer, PCIe continues to adapt and improve its protocols. The introduction of shared flow control credits in Flit mode represents a significant step forward in addressing the challenges posed by increasing data rates. This innovation not only ensures the reliable transmission of data but also contributes to cost savings and streamlined hardware designs, ultimately benefitting the entire industry. As data demands continue to grow, these advancements will play a vital role in maintaining efficient and robust communication protocols.

Reference: https://bitsilica.com/enhancing-data-transfer-efficiency-in-pcie-with-flow-control-credits/